By Marco Aquino
LIMA, April 14 (Reuters) – Conservative Keiko Fujimori will advance to a presidential runoff in Peru as the vote count entered a third day on Tuesday, with a former Lima mayor and center‑left candidate locked in a tight battle for second place, according to the official count.
Fujimori, a former congresswoman and the daughter of former President Alberto Fujimori, will advance to a presidential run-off, expected on June 7, as she held 16.9% of the votes with 74% of votes counted, the official election tally showed.
Right-wing former Lima mayor, Rafael Lopez Aliaga, and center-left Jorge Nieto are vying for second place with about 13% and 12% of the votes respectively, as the count by Peru’s electoral body, ONPE, moved into a third day.
Outsider Ricardo Belmont stood in fourth place securing just below 10% of the votes.
With none of the leading candidates anywhere near the 50% required to win outright, a runoff will be required, prolonging political uncertainty in the world’s third‑largest copper producer.
The tally for Sunday’s election has moved into a third day after officials extended voting hours into Monday for more than 50,000 people who were unable to cast ballots as widespread delays and logistical failures hampered voting day.
(Reporting by Marco Aquino and Aida Pelaez-Fernandez; editing by Cassandra Garrison)
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